# Cultural significance of age milestones in ancient Judaism **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 19, 2022, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025 "2022-01-19T01:07:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/1 "2022-01-19T01:07:37Z")
Anybody who knows anything at all about Judaism knows that age 13 is culturally significant in Judaism; that’s the age when a boy does his bar mitzvah. What I’m wondering about is age 50. And the reason for that is a curious little passage in the Bible. The traditional view is that Jesus was 33 or maybe 34 at the time of the Crucifixion. But a few people think that he was older; maybe even in his forties. This particular passage records one of the many disputes that Jesus had with the Jewish establishment. Here’s the key verse: "So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” (John 8:57, ESV). It seems strange, if not downright peculiar, to describe somebody in his early 30’s as “not yet fifty.” Yes, it could be done–but it seems far more likely and logical to say “not yet forty.” Thus, I am wondering if age 50 had some sort of special significance that would in essence override the more likely choice. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/2 "2022-01-19T01:13:08Z")
This may have nothing at all to do with your question, but 40 seems to be a “bad luck” number – the main example being the 39 lashes Christ received; I heard it was against someone’s law to give more than forty lashes, so they stopped at 39 in case someone miscounted. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/3 "2022-01-19T01:39:30Z")
The only other age I am familiar with as having significance is 70, “ The days of our years are three score and ten." from the Psalms. Some people have a second Bar Mitzvah if they live to 83. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/4 "2022-01-19T02:42:16Z")
The only thing I can think of is that fifty was the age at which Levites would retire from the physically demanding aspects of the Temple service, but that’s pretty obscure and I don’t think Jesus was a Levite anyway. Otherwise the age has no symbolic significance that I’m aware of. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/5 "2022-01-19T02:50:10Z")
From Pirkei Avot: > At five years of age the study of Scripture; At ten the study of Mishnah; At thirteen subject to the commandments; At fifteen the study of Talmud; At eighteen the bridal canopy; At twenty for pursuit [of livelihood]; At thirty the peak of strength; At forty wisdom; At fifty able to give counsel; At sixty old age; At seventy fullness of years; At eighty the age of “strength”; At ninety a bent body; At one hundred, as good as dead and gone completely out of the world. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/6 "2022-01-19T02:51:23Z")
The Mishnah Avos 5:25 lists the significance of age milestones. For 50 specifically, it says “50 years old is the age of giving advice.” ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/7 "2022-01-19T03:09:33Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > For 50 specifically, it says “50 years old is the age of giving advice.” This may explain the fact that I turned 50 at the beginning of Covid and I have been “giving advice” to anti-vaxxers on Facebook ever since. I will need to consult with my rabbi. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/8 "2022-01-19T03:31:27Z")
Seven was a significant number. Maybe something to do with getting past 7x7? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/9 "2022-01-19T04:14:12Z")
Jesus Christ, does no one Google any more? > [John 8:57](https://biblehub.com/commentaries/john/8-57.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/10 "2022-01-19T04:27:43Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Jesus Christ, does no one Google any more? Well, _he_ certainly didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/11 "2022-01-19T04:31:15Z")
Thanks for the replies. I had been wondering if I was missing some cultural context behind that passage, but apparently not. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2022, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/12 "2022-01-21T13:19:33Z")
Props for breaking ancient tradition and not asking today, the traditional Day of Asking (Questions Best Suited For Jews When They’re Not Here) … ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2022, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/13 "2022-01-22T00:01:05Z")
Heh. 😀 I actually thought about that situation, and I was careful to check what day it was before posting. ---
**Author:** ![EnolaStraight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2022, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cultural-significance-of-age-milestones-in-ancient-judaism/958025/14 "2022-01-22T16:02:10Z")
Hebrew Numerology and Gematria: > **[Understanding Hebrew numerology and the secrets of the Torah - St. Louis...](https://stljewishlight.org/arts-entertainment/understanding-hebrew-numerology-and-the-secrets-of-the-torah/)** > > Gematria is a numerological system by which Hebrew letters correspond to numbers. This system, developed by practitioners of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), derived from Greek influence and became a tool for interpreting biblical... > **[Gematria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gematria)** > > Pages for logged out editors learn more > > Gematria (/ɡəˈmeɪtriə/; Hebrew: גמטריא or gimatria גימטריה, plural גמטראות or גימטריאות, gimatriot) is the practice of assigning a numerical value to a name, word or phrase according to an alphanumerical cipher. A single word can yield several values depending on the cipher which is used. > Hebrew alphanumeric ciphers were probably used in biblical times, and were later adopted by other cultures. Gematria is still widely used in Jewish culture. Sim...